What Do You Do During The Lockdown?

Stefan Mikes said:
No?! You mean you have travelled to the East Coast and cannot return home? Oh my.
Perhaps you could really buy or at least rent an e-bike while staying in the Eastern U.S.?
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Unfortunately, with the stay at home order, the bike stores (all stores except grocery and pharmacies and a few other exceptions) are closed.
 
I'm still forgetting about that, Patricia. I needed to buy some bolts and it turned out to be impossible now.
 
I’ve been lucky, weathers been good. I have an awesome bike trail in my backyard that stretches for several kms. When I feel like I’m going crazy from being inside too long I kill a battery in the back 40.
 
So, before the lockdown I went to the gym several times a week and commuted to work on my e-bike and now, I just stuck at home and trying not to go crazy seating home alone. I'm teleworking, reading a lot, watching news and series, cooking. Happily, I have an exercise bike for training, so I can continue to keep fit. My dad bought it to exercise at home. So, maybe someone would want to order one from Amazon.
 
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Finally, I managed to install the Ergotec stem in the way it satisfies my needs for my Vado. Today, the time to swap the tyres and the tubes in my Lovelec.

1585213849388.png
 
We are under a loose lock down in my area. It's gotten out of hand in CHicago. People are playing soccer and volleyball on the lakefront. This photo is from the Chicago Tribune website. The authorities have decided to issue tickets and close off the parks.

crowds.jpg


Out in the suburbs, it's quieter, but still too many people for me on my bike paths. I'll be sticking to neighborhood streets.

At home. I am learning my uke strumming, not looking at my investments, and reading my kindle. Finished 15 of the 16 Charlie Parker thrillers. I have several bike projects waiting for warm weather. It's really no change from my normal retirement routine, except I wear plastic gloves and pack my own clean wipes when I go to the store.
 
Stefan Mikes said:
Finally, I managed to install the Ergotec stem in the way it satisfies my needs for my Vado. Today, the time to swap the tyres and the tubes in my Lovelec.

View attachment 48293
Click to expand...
Stefan - I keep coming back to this picture, flippin amazing to me, looks like the cockpit of a modern jet, I wear my old garmin on wrist for Strava and smart phone stuck in pocket for Mission Control, can't even tell what gear I am in on the Turbo Levo (all by feel)
 
Twin Valley said:
I wear my old garmin on wrist for Strava and smart phone stuck in pocket for Mission Control, can't even tell what gear I am in on the Turbo Levo (all by feel)
Click to expand...
@Twin Valley, I really appreciate your style! As for me, I do touring and commuting and as a fanboy I need to have full control over my bike :) Yet I don't know in what gear I am on my Vado either, thank you Shimano SLX!

Regarding the controls, I intensively use my smartphone, for example for the GPS navigation. On touring, I often am in places I haven't been before. I simply don't want to ride in the unknown. Another item in the cockpit is the dropper post lever. The bell! You don't need it on the trail. Etc.

My Good Ole Mule has got new shoes! I will test the tyres on the Saturday's recreational ride to Warsaw: "You see, officer, just exercising my vital life needs as allowed by the Executive Order...", haha

1585237880470.png

Not only the tyres...

1585237958853.png

... but the inner tube is the Michelin A3 Protek Max. I have never seen such an advanced tube before.
 
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Stefan Mikes said:
...the inner tube is the Michelin A3 Protek Max. I have never seen such an advanced tube before.
Click to expand...

Never heard of it: I had to search for it. Found this video:

On a side note, what was interesting in that video is that it says to install the second tire bead starting away from the tire valve, and move towards it. This is the opposite of what I was taught, as shown in this Park Tool video at 6:42

I just installed Tannus Armours with Tubolite tubes. Hopefully, flats will be few and far between.
 
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No official lockdown / shelter in place orders here (Northern Virginia) yet... The County has closed all parks & athletic courts; but trails are only "closed to groups" - so I take that to mean I can still ride them solo (including when they pass through a now-closed park) or with my sig-o. Or, I could ride in the roads (which have of course, dramatically fewer cars at all times now!) I've been out on several rides during March (13 rides, 200 miles so far) as weather allows. This afternoon looks promising for another ride...

My employer went to 100% telework early last week; that's working out fine for me, but others new to teleworking (or without an issued laptop) were struggling with a few things. I find my workday is far quieter -- a lot of my daily work would arise from walk-up desk traffic at the office; those folks aren't reaching out to me nearly as much (via email or chat) now that we're all remote, it seems.

Finding new means of some food delivery -- The grocery-delivery services are strained. I've tried every day this week to secure a delivery window up to 8 days forward, with no success. I'll probably venture into a grocery store this weekend. I did get a nice delivery of two varieties of locally-made kimchi and homemade pickles (from a vendor I used to frequent at farmer's market here), and will have some farm eggs and beef chili arranged for Sunday from another farmer's market vendor. Will see how careful I can be with my toilet paper situation, as I have yet to be able to find any for purchase -- but things aren't desperate - just before the wave of panic-buying set in here, I grabbed a big bundle as normal shopping; think I have 12 rolls remaining :) How I've grown to envy the Europeans who long ago embraced incorporating the bidet as a standard home plumbing fixture! What a sensible, improved alternative when you really dwell on the realities of the T.P. method ;) {And who'd have thought those last 2 sentences would be ones I'd ever write, on a biking forum?!}
 
Rick53 said:
WOW looks good But is it really stable at 20 plus MPH ??? My concern is that Vado won't give enough Leg Room : How tall are you again?
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173 cm or 5'8". No problem with space on the M frame. The problem was my large stomach that hardly fit inside the cockpit when I was standing with both feet on the ground 🤣 With the Ergotec stem, the reach has increased and now there is the space for the stomach. Yes, the Vado is stable and balanced as it is now.

christob said:
How I've grown to envy the Europeans who long ago embraced incorporating the bidet as a standard home plumbing fixture! What a sensible, improved alternative when you really dwell on the realities of the T.P. method
Click to expand...
Come think to that, I have a bidet in my bathroom (not many Polish homes have got it). Still several rolls of the T.P. left but the backup is there :D


smorgasbord said:
Never hear of it: I had to search for it. Found this video:
Click to expand...
Pity I didn't watch that video before. I hope the inner tube was installed properly.
 
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christob said:
No official lockdown / shelter in place orders here (Northern Virginia) yet... The County has closed all parks & athletic courts; but trails are only "closed to groups" - so I take that to mean I can still ride them solo (including when they pass through a now-closed park) or with my sig-o. Or, I could ride in the roads (which have of course, dramatically fewer cars at all times now!) I've been out on several rides during March (13 rides, 200 miles so far) as weather allows. This afternoon looks promising for another ride...

My employer went to 100% telework early last week; that's working out fine for me, but others new to teleworking (or without an issued laptop) were struggling with a few things. I find my workday is far quieter -- a lot of my daily work would arise from walk-up desk traffic at the office; those folks aren't reaching out to me nearly as much (via email or chat) now that we're all remote, it seems.

Finding new means of some food delivery -- The grocery-delivery services are strained. I've tried every day this week to secure a delivery window up to 8 days forward, with no success. I'll probably venture into a grocery store this weekend. I did get a nice delivery of two varieties of locally-made kimchi and homemade pickles (from a vendor I used to frequent at farmer's market here), and will have some farm eggs and beef chili arranged for Sunday from another farmer's market vendor. Will see how careful I can be with my toilet paper situation, as I have yet to be able to find any for purchase -- but things aren't desperate - just before the wave of panic-buying set in here, I grabbed a big bundle as normal shopping; think I have 12 rolls remaining :) How I've grown to envy the Europeans who long ago embraced incorporating the bidet as a standard home plumbing fixture! What a sensible, improved alternative when you really dwell on the realities of the T.P. method ;) {And who'd have thought those last 2 sentences would be ones I'd ever write, on a biking forum?!}
Click to expand...
Many bidet attachment options available on Amazon! Just pop one under your toilet seat (after hooking up to water), and you're good to "go" :cool:.
 
Stefan Mikes said:
@Twin Valley, I really appreciate your style! As for me, I do touring and commuting and as a fanboy I need to have full control over my bike :) Yet I don't know in what gear I am on my Vado either, thank you Shimano SLX! Regarding the controls, I intensively use my smartphone, for example for the GPS navigation. On touring, I often am in places I haven't been before. I simply don't want to ride in the unknown. Another item in the cockpit is the dropper post lever. The bell! You don't need it on the trail. Etc.

My Good Ole Mule has got new shoes! I will test the tyres on the Saturday's recreational ride to Warsaw: "You see, officer, just exercising my vital life needs as allowed by the Executive Order...", haha
Not only the tyres... ... but the inner tube is the Michelin A3 Protek Max. I have never seen such an advanced tube before.
Click to expand...

Interesting design from Michelin... after watching the video, I understand the use of sealant but not the purpose of the knobby surface inner tube?
 
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